If you do so, it is a beautiful thing, and beneficial.
However, you can't really have a guru you haven't met
in person and haven't developed mutual trust with. Also,
Devotion yes, in sutra, but samsya--viewing the Lama
as Buddha has to do with Tantra.

lucidaromulus wrote:I have joined a dharma center(FPMT) for about a year now. However, i haven't had the fortunate karma to meet the Lama Zopa Rinpoche(the spiritual director/Guru) yet.

I have read books written by Rinpoche. I have seen rinpoche's activities (through news, through videos).

From my perception I have no doubt that Rinpoche is an enlightened being.
but i'm not sure if i should regard Rinpoche as my guru.

(i have read that one can consider a lama his guru if that lama manages to inspire one for the better. but i just really....don't know.)

What i'm trying to ask is... is it appropriate to see Rinpoche as an enlightened being, say a Buddha and yet not seeing him as my guru?
for now at least....

please, do share insight or experiences.

He is your guru if you receive teachings from him. So you should have pure view and devotion so that you get those. If he shows you the nature of mind, he is your root guru. If that happens you will definitely see him as buddha.

It depends. Lama Zopa Rinpoche is qualified with very pure intentions so if you do meet him one day there would be no problem taking him as a guru IMHO- he is a tried and tested lama who has helped many Western students over the years. The only difficulty I can foresee is that Rinpoche since his health difficulties the past year and a half is not able to travel as widely as previously, so it is not so easy to interact or receive teachings from him directly- though for some people the occasional teaching from him is enough to keep them inspired for a couple of years in their practice.
You can take him as a "virtuous friend" in the Sutra context whenever you are able to take any teachings from him in the future.
According to the Gelug to have him as your Guru in the full tantric context of the word involves taking initiations and commentaries, as well as oral transmissions of the practice texts, for a Highest Yoga Tantric context.

What if a lama asks me to practice a mantra for lifetime? Does that establish a guru disciple relationship automatically?

You really need to turn it the other way around. What can I do to prepare for the relationship? In other words, you are already in contact with the Buddha . . . you are already heading Towards the meeting . . .

What if a lama asks me to practice a mantra for lifetime? Does that establish a guru disciple relationship automatically?

Without empowerment and/or pointing-out you don't have a guru, you have a teacher. I have discovered over the years that getting a genuine guru-disciple relationship takes a lot of time and effort on both the guru and the disciple side. So there is no chance that you accidentally get stuck in one unless that is what you want of course.

/magnus

"We are all here to help each other go through this thing, whatever it is."
~Kurt Vonnegut

"The principal practice is Guruyoga. But we need to understand that any secondary practice combined with Guruyoga becomes a principal practice." ChNNR (Teachings on Thun and Ganapuja)

What if a lama asks me to practice a mantra for lifetime? Does that establish a guru disciple relationship automatically?

Technically, once you take an empowerment from a lama, that establishes a guru-disciple relationship (even if you never see them again) and you are supposed to do what they tell you to. That's why it's a good idea, when going for an empowerment, to know ahead of time what the practice commitment(s) will be.